ORBIS ADVISES PREMIER PAPER ON IRISH ACQUISITION

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

Orbis Partners has advised Minworth headquartered Premier Paper Group on the acquisition of Dublin based GPMI which is the latest company to be acquired by the Group. This follows on from the acquisition in December 2022 of WBC, the luxury packaging and retail display company and the purchase of the packaging and lamination films supplier, Zulu earlier last year.

GPMI is a leading paper merchant and has a strong and established position in the Irish market supplying both the commercial print and sign & display sectors. With warehouses and offices in Dublin and Belfast, GPMI has a turnover of around €28m with 50 employees.

The Premier Paper Group had a turnover of £187m in 2021 and is a leading supplier of paper, packaging and materials to the UK market. In turn, Premier is part of OVOL Japan Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd., a global company that operates in 21 countries with a turnover of $5bn.

Premier has a well-developed strategy for growth both in its core market and in complementary markets with a strong acquisition focus. We are pleased to have advised Premier on this latest acquisition which provides a strong footprint in the Irish market.

Chris Gregory, Partner

Orbis have previously worked with the Directors of Premier during their sale to Japan Pulp and Paper Co in 2019. Specifically, Orbis:

Attended meetings in the UK and ROI with Premier’s Directors to evaluate GPMI and the potential opportunity.
Structured an offer for the business taking into account the key requirements of Premier and the objectives of the GPMI shareholders.
Prepared financial models and investment papers to present the opportunity to Premier’s parent company Japan Pulp and Paper Co.
Co-ordinated and managed financial and commercial due diligence providers.
Helped to negotiate the key commercial aspects of the legal documents.
Project managed the deal to completion, leading on all financial and commercial negotiations.